We need to recognize that we are on the same team!It's high time that all of us involved in ministry stop working against one another and start working with each other... towards the same end - the spiritual formation and redemption of those that God brings our way!
While some of us may be already approach ministry in this way... I think there are far too many of us that do not.
Instead of seeing each other as brothers and sisters - co-laborers in the field - we see each other as competition... or even worse, the enemy!
Of these failing relationships, one falls more heavy on me...
It's the rifts between the Church and para-church and/or campus-based ministries that reach out to the millions of college-aged students around the world.
We must begin see our collective work as the stewardship of souls that God brings into our company... and what starts in the Church, at some point - in many instances, needs to get passed on to the campus.
Students who move off to campus can really struggle to connect with a local church in the midst of this great transition.
Campus ministries are in the strategic position to step in at this point and help students to find their feet - physically, emotionally and spiritually.
Now please, do not hear me advocating for campus ministry involvement at the expense of finding a new church home... because that's not what I'm doing!
However, what we offer on campus is something that is designed to meet the unique and specific needs of college students, while also pointing them towards the local church!
We want them involved in both!!
We see ourselves as missionaries - to a unique and specific field - and hope to connect with students as they enter a new environment filled with new people and new ideas.
The critical college years are often when students make decisions about faith - whether or not they believe what their parents and/or pastors taught them, as well as how central it's going to be to how they live their life.
These really are CRITICAL years!!
Ultimately, as campus ministers, we hope that after our students leave our campus... they take their campus ministry and "new" local church experience and translate them into new levels of commitment and involvement in the local church... wherever God might take them.
Friends and colleagues in the Church... we need you to see us as your eyes and ears on campus... we need your support, encouragement and prayer.
We need your friendship and respect.
Know that you have ours!
Grace and peace
Day 2 of 40 Days of Prayer for Campus Ministry
3 comments:
As the Blues Brothers so eloquently put it, "We're on a mission from God!"
Perhaps one of the downfalls of passionate ministry is a bit of tunnel vision - we forget that we are instruments for the mission of God, that parishes, churches and organizations are not ends in themselves.
Very insightful post, whatever the difficulties exist in bringing such a vision to fruition!
thanks for your blog; please post any more info you may have on this subject
Question from twitter:
mikefili @CampusMinGuy Can you help me understand why the student-focused ministry cannot be a local church itself or why it's not the best model?
Mike, you pose a good question.
I think there are a couple of significant reasons for why a campus ministry, or student-focused ministry cannot be a local church or attempt to replace the local church...
1) the local church should represent the masses (ideally, all ages, races, social, political and econmic backgrounds) and not a sub-section (18-22 year olds who are "wealthy" enough to be able to afford higher education).
There is a richness that college students get in an environment where they're rubbing shoulders with high schoolers, middle schoolers and younger kids that look up to them as an example; as well as those who are older, wiser and a bit more seasoned that can serve as a role model for maturing college student!
The flip side of that same coin has to do with the energy, passion and willingness to rattle the cages that college students NEED to bring to local congregations... Without the sparks and excitement that college students can bring to the local church, it would be a totally different (not in the good sense) place! Students NEED to get off campus and into the local church!
2) Student will only be in college for 4 years (or maybe 5... or 6) and then they are gone. If they have become solely dependent on a campus-based ministry (and minister) then they will likely flounder after they graduate lose access to both minister and ministry. A big part of what we are supposed to do in campus ministry is model for students what is good - like being a part of the larger Body of Christ. Campus-based ministry needs to be seen as "in addition to" and not "in replacement of" being plugged into a local church body.
Those are a couple of my thoughts at this late hour... what do you think?